


The Legendary Pirate Nicholas Wilde

by Jsayra



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friendship, Kings & Queens, Minor Violence, Pirates, Romantic Comedy, etc - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2020-08-23 13:57:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 21,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20243986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jsayra/pseuds/Jsayra
Summary: Irresistible in his charm, magnificent in his fights and Conqueror of his things. A hero to many. A thief to others. Females desire him and males hate him. Meet the legendary Pirate: Nicholas Wilde.A pirate wanted by all kingdom guards and admired by females of all species. However, a specific female does not find him so irresistible or conquering, but a pirate without scruples and manners. She as known him since childhood. Both were already great friends, but fate separated them and the hatred between them grew. A hatred that, in others' eyes are feared but to attentive ones, is nothing but a love-hate.*Attention some scenes of violence, blood and torture.~ I hope you like it. I accept criticism ~





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> ooO~Ooo 
> 
> Hello everyone, =) 
> 
> Before you go down in history, I want to tell you something. I won't stop with my other story: 'The Cursed Village', but recently I saw Sinbad (the animation film) and the ideas came to my mind. Of course, it won't be anything like the film, but I wanted to make a story about a famous pirate for some time now. 
> 
> In conclusion, I hope you enjoy this adventure of mine.
> 
> I warn that Judy and Nick won't get along very well at first, but things will get better between them.
> 
> ooO~Ooo

The little room was full. The murmurs of the little ones were exciting. They were no more than five fluffy, shiny-eyed creatures. Their ears were stretched out, for it was the first day of classes for those cubs. To this end, and to begin a year of teaching, the teacher had chosen to tell a story. The story, which was many years old but always told, was remembered and lived with great enthusiasm by those who told it and by those who listened to it. Violeta, a rabbit of a certain age, entered the small room. The murmurs ended, with the eyes of the little cubs falling on the old figure of the rabbit. Her cane helped her to walk towards the chair in front of the cubs. As she sat down, Violeta laid her cane beside her and carefully on the floor. She sat on the chair and smiled at the little creatures.

"Good morning, my boys and girls," her voice was hoarse but careful. The softness of her tone provided a small smile and tender in the faces of the small cubs. "Today, and for the rest of the year, I will be your teacher. I will give you several subjects, but I always like to start with one in particular".

"I know what it is." One of the cubs, a little fox, raised his little paw and showed the row of teeth. Well, some teeth. The others had fallen to make room for the definitive teeth and his toothless smile made Violeta laugh a little.

"Oh, you know? So, tell me what I'm going to talk about?"

"My mother told me. She also knows the story.”

"All of it?” Violet winked at him.

"Oh...no!?" the little one got confused. The mother had indeed told him, but not everything. When he asked about more, the answer he got was what her eyes and ears had known from the mouths of various mammals.

"Well, I already figured it out. Does anyone else know?" Violet's green eyes passed through all the creatures. The negative nod of their head gave her the confirmation she wanted. "So, let's get started. I will tell you the story every day before we pass the rest of the subjects."

"Yes!" said the little cubs in uni sound.

"I see you are excited. Well, here we go."  


_ A long time ago, there was a legend that everyone in the kingdom of Zootopia knew. Many people valued this story very much, others said that it was nothing more than a legend invented by fishermmamals. However, this is the story, all the words you will hear, I assure you by my health, that it is all true. At that time, the kingdom of Zootopia prospered with joy and peace. The villagers lived quiet and trouble-free lives. The streets crowded with tents with various products for sale called other mammals from villages around as well as other kingdoms. Everything was perfect until one day this joy and peace began to tremble. The era of prosperity gave way to greed. The happiness of mammals gave way to fear and the peace established between the kingdoms was broked. All this, due to the era of the pirates. Unscrupulous thieves, who would kill, if necessary, to get what they wanted. As such, kingdoms and the neighboring villages began to be threatened. The robberies became a big problem and the dispute for a quality of life again only gave rise to the possibility of a new kind of life give that everything would be destroyed. Years went by, and the piracy got out of paws. There were kingdoms that were stolen by these pirates, and Zootopia was the only one that managed to keep the king without him being killed. However, this was the only kingdom in which the famous pirate of all times wanted for himself. His accomplices had already conquered more than him, not that he cared about it, his robberies in the vicinity were enough for his expenses, and his charm was also his greatest power. Beautiful to die, any female desired him. No one would dare to give his head, which was at the prize, to the king or to the royal guard. Therefore, the famous pirate remained famous to this day. Although he has already died, his adventures are written in books and told in school. That's why the story and legend of the legendary pirate Nick Wilde will never be forgotten._


	2. The Princess and The King

The main square of the Kingdom of Zootopia was in celebration. It was the day of Princess Alyanna's coronation and no one wanted to miss it. King Mark Welford was more than radiant with such a feast. His daughter was already at the age of marriage and presenting her to the kingdom as a future queen, it filled the fox's chatter, robust with already gray and half-whitish fur. His structure was small, a defect of genes, but his daughter had not acquired, what he gave thanks to God. Alyanna had inherited the priceless beauty of her dead mother. A soft-haired, all-white vixen with crystal-blue eyes. Mark wondered several times what he had done to deserve such beauty and more when his firstborn was born and in which he had inherited the flawless beauty from his wife. The only difference was the color of her eyes. Dark Lilacs. The fur was also white, but it had a particularity in the tail, is the tip of that be the color of her eyes. Was it a defect? Nobody knew. But it caused many males to drool over it. For that, her beauty and coronation would make the wedding proposals grow and that's what Mark wanted. Once the neighboring kingdoms had been taken over by the pirates, it remains now that the richest houses in the kingdom of Zootopia were their candidates. For that, the presence of the princess at the party would be dispensable.

Out of all this fuss, there was an extremely furious rabbit. Her ideas were not heard. Her admiral only wanted to know about the safety of the princess and the king, so he was not being consistent in the proposal she presented and placed on the big wooden oval table.

"I want five guards scaled here!" the wax dolls were diverted, on top of the map, to the port where they were attacking the ships. "Three were in the main area. The other two stayed with the north coast."

"It won't be the best idea!" she contradicted him, but she got a look on her side.

"You know that pirates can attack!" the fury in the admiral's voice was remarkable. He hated being interrupted. And even less that they would contradict his ideas.

"And you also know that Nicholas Wilde is quite astute at his entrances!”

"Lieutenant Hopps, you know my patience has its limits."

"And Admiral Bogo also knows that the princess is a target for him. His beauty is coveted everywhere, and I've seen bets being placed on the tables by pirates. Besides, you know that Wilde doesn't lose a bet and he bet a good amount to ask the princess for her paw in marriage".

"The king wouldn't approve of such a thing!"

"The king doesn't know that Wilde has a thousand facets. Besides, he has an unusual beauty and the Admiral knows that two beautiful species breed magnificent cubs."

Judy knew more than she wanted to know about the legendary Wilde. All her missions were intending to arrest him. Put him behind bars and don't let him take the Zootopia throne. However, unsuccessful attempts led to a big frustration. And now that the opportunity was so close, she didn't want to miss it. But the Admiral's stupid ideas didn't make any sense. If Bogo came up with the ideas, and it was most likely, she would follow with her own and capture the fox. After all, the story between them was long and the rivalry quite remarkable. Besides, Nick had lied to her and this, she would never forgive him.

"We will proceed as I said. If you want, Lieutenant Hopps, you can choose to do it your way. After all, every time you did, your attempts failed." Bogo leaned over and stared at her. Judy took a deep breath, took her things and turned her back on Buffalo. She was tired of being treated differently for her failed attempts and the respect she had gained over the years, diminished when Wilde's attempts at the kingdom of Zootopia began to be more constant than she wanted and she knew why. She knew why he wanted that kingdom so badly and the princess's paw. Leaving the department, Judy headed for the castle. Alyanna required her presence and she could not refuse.

**ooO~Ooo**

"Today will be my day," the cheerful voice filled the whole atmosphere of his office.

Sitting on the chair, his feet rested, crossed, on the large rectangular wooden table. The chalice on his paw had already been filled twice. But his tolerance to alcohol was enormous and his chalice, that afternoon, was going to be very full.

"You're too confident for my taste," the other voice replied, but in a discouraging way.

"And you don't seem very happy for your old friend," answered the other, drinking some of the wine from his cup.

"Happy am I, don’t doubt it, but you know the consequences of wanting the kingdom of Zootopia for yourself, don't you?”

"The king is not yet dead, and I do not intend to kill him to take his place. My goal is to gain the trust of the mammals by tiring myself with Alyanna."

“But you know you need to go through the royal guard for that, don't you?"

Emerald-green eyes looked at the cheetah in front of him in confusion.

"And?"

"I'm not saying you can't do it easily, but there's a lieutenant who'll do anything to stop you."

"Oh, I'd forgotten," he drank the cup again. "But all her attempts were unsuccessful. What's different this time?"

"The anger and hatred," the cheetah replied. "Don't you remember what you did to her?”

With his eyebrows together, the confusion became even more acute. He had no memory of what he had done to her.

"Gods!" the cheetah said in a long sigh. "You let her brother die. The only member of her family was still alive. In which family our 'friends' have killed."

"It wasn't my fault," the fox replied, and it was true. "Jack wouldn't listen to me and suffered the consequences!" the fox put the cup on the table and got up.

"You know that's not true. You know Jack died protecting you," the cheetah shook his head and his eyes went into the sea through the little oval window in front of him.

"Jack chose it that way. I never asked him to do such a thing," grabbing his blue hat with two white feathers, he put it on his head and went towards the door where he opened it. And before closing it behind him, he remembered. "It was Judy's fault. It was because of her that her brother and sister died. So, don't blame me, Benjamin."

"You're such an idiot that you don't understand why all this happened," Clawhauser spoke to himself and, once again, sighed.

**ooO~Ooo**  


Back in the castle, Judy climbed the stairs to the third floor, in large steps. Her fury had not yet dissipated and patience to hold on to Bogo was getting scarcer and scarcer. Reaching the great white wooden door with some designs of roses of various colors, Judy sighed and knocked on the door. On the other side, Alyanna's animated voice invited her in. Judy then opened the door and closed behind her.

"You called me, princess?"

"Now, stop graduating. We don't even look like childhood friends. Come here, please."

Judy took a deep breath and approached Alyanna who was on the balcony, leaning over the stone parapet.

"OK then, why did you call me for?"

"I want you to come to the ball without your uniform!" violet eyes were against Vixen's shining lilacs in confusion. "Don't look at me like that. You're always in that uniform of yours and you never attend the ball any other way. Besides, my dad made sure you got out of your job and came dancing at the ball."

"I refuse!" replied Judy immediately.

"Oh, come on, don't be a buzzkill."

"Do you realize that's where you're going to need protection?"

Alyanna sighed and sat down on the balcony ledge.

"What if I don't want protection that night?”

"What?" shocked, Judy tried to understand the words of the princess.

"Oh, there is something I want to tell you." Alyanna diverted her attention to the kingdom. One of her paws went against her arm, where she squeezed it. She knew what she would tell Judy would make her furious. "I'm in love, Judy. In love with the most beautiful fox in the whole kingdom. The fox I hope will show up at the dance and ask me to marry him."

"It can't be true!"

"It can be as it is. Nick has been stealing my heart for a long time, but only now have I realized that I love him."

"Alyanna, he's a criminal before the whole kingdom. An unscrupulous outlaw" the words come out in anger from Judy's mouth. Her arms moved as she agitated.

"You know this is not true. We grew up together. We played together, but fate wanted it to be otherwise..."

"Your father will never approve of such a thing."

"That's why I want to escape today. If he captures me, I'll go with him on his boat."

"Alyanna, you've gone mad. If that happens, your father will start an endless war."

"But..."

"I won't let that happen. You have a sense in that head. You will dispute an unnecessary war." Judy shook her head.

"But I love him, you know? I love him so much that I can't stand to be away from him!"

Judy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wanted to arrest Nick and not let him even touch the princess. But part of her heart…well...she didn't want to see her friend with a heartbroken.

"Bogo will be attentive to Wilde's footsteps. He may well be able to get into the party without being recognized, and since it's a masquerade ball, it helps his disguise. Alyanna, just for today I let you see Nick and say how you feel about him, but don't even think about escaping. If you do, his salvation won't be on my paws. If they know that he's the one who 'kidnapped' you, he'll be without his head and not in a simple prison."

Yes, it was hard for her not to be able to arrest that fox that destroyed her heart. Who demanded his ingenuity and trust... But she knew that Alyanna had been in love with him since she was little, and Judy was the princess must important friend who was there for her whenever she needed something. For today, just for today, she would once again let Nick slip through her paws.

** _To be continued…_ **


	3. The Ball

Night fell on the kingdom. The feast in the streets of Zootopia had already begun. All the mammals had fun, drank and danced. Judy had agreed to go to the ball and, after the conversation with Alyanna, they were both entertained in choosing the dresses for the ball. Once Bogo had let her do whatever she wanted, she would do just that. The anger that she couldn't catch Nick that night hadn't gone away yet. However, when the ball was over and Alyanna talked to him, she would go back into action.

"Wow, your beauty stands out anywhere!" Judy was dazzled. Alyanna was a Vixen that any female envied. The chosen dress was flashy. In its pink tones, the hat that completed it carried two white feathers. The mask, which would cover only the eyes, was white and adorned with some golden decoration.

"Don't be an idiot. I won't be the only one to be highlighted at the ball. See!”

Taking the bunny's shoulders, Alyanna positioned her in front of the fulfilled mirror. Judy's dress was white with dark blue adornments. The hat of the same color and the blue feathers. The mask was white with dark blue adornments. She had to admit that Alyanna was right. Rarely was she wearing a dress, but when she did, it was wonderful. Then, turning her back on the mirror, Judy stood in front of Alyanna and grabbed her on both paws.

"Please, Alyanna. Nick may have been our childhood friend, but he grew up and changed. The pirate's life changed him quite a bit. He will not stand still and/or quiet in one place. Possibly, he can look for other Vixen in brothels. Are you sure? He's an unstable fox."

"Judy, have you ever been in love?" the question caught her off guard. But she was sincere.

“Yes."

"Wow, I thought it was going to be a negative answer!" Alyanna smiled and continued, "So you know that no matter how stable this mammal is and so on, things can change right? We can give them a second chance and they can change."

"I doubt he will change, but that’s ok!" Judy said between her teeth. "Well, I don't want to spoil your ball with my worries, but I'll be watching you." she smiled at the princess and Alyanna also gave her back the smile.  
  


On the ship, Nicholas Wilde was also getting ready. His clothes had been well chosen. The velvet pants were black. The high boots were white. The red blouse and the jacket, also velvet, were the same color as the pants. To complete the costume, the hat could not be missing. Also, black, but he chose to put on that, three blue feathers.

"Great. She will not resist me." He spoke to his reflection and winked at it.

Behind him, Benjamin was also dressed up for the ball and shook his head at his master's stupidity.

His ship was moored far from the royal port. His arrival there would not be welcome, so he chose to take one of the wooden lifeboats across the docks until they left near the palace. There, Nick would know that the guards would be more concerned with the main entrances than with the back. Since, until now, nothing had happened. The boat was anchored. Benjamin wrapped the rope around one of the rocks to keep it close by.

"Wow, the ball is animated. Did you bring the masks?" Nick turned to Benjamin, who nodded positively at him.

Crouching before the boat, he removed both masks. As he straightened up, he approached his master and gave him one.

"Perfect. It's time for fun.”

And the two began to climb the small hill to enter through the kitchen to the main hall. There was no need for so much hiding since both were disguised, the excuses that would be explained when they entered the kitchen, were more than thought out.

Alyanna had started the first dance. As a tradition, it would always be with the king. After the first dance, any suitor would be welcome. Meanwhile, Judy kept an eye out for all the male mammals of the fox species, to see if she could see Nick. However, it would be an impossible mission.

"Why are all foxes the same?" She yelled between her teeth and took a cup.

Moving away from the table, she went towards another table were contained the jars with the drinks. She took the first jug she saw and poured its contents into the cup. Turning her back on the table, she, again, focused her gaze on the foxes. At least forty or more would be there. But that's when she remembered. There was a peculiarity about Nick that set him apart from other foxes. Besides his emerald green eyes, which unfortunately would be covered by the mask, something that, without knowing why, the masks had a protection in the eyes, his tail was longer and the color brighter. Why? Judy had an idea but preferred not to think about it. Alyanna danced happily with a male wolf. A suitor of a well-renamed family of the kingdom. They had no lack of money and politeness, that was what most distinguished them.

"By gods. If she loves Nick so much, why the hell is she so smiling?" Judy spoke to herself. She could see when it was a forced smile or not. And at that moment, that smile was not forced at all.

_Damn. I should be having a little fun too._

She drank all the wine in one drink and put the cup down. It was time to choose a pair to dance to. Convicted in her footsteps, Judy searched for a male she liked. Foxes were out of the question, so she opted for wolves or even the leopards that were there. It would be twice her size, but she didn't want to know, and she didn't want to dance with a male of her kind. They were terrible dancers. Advancing through the hall, she had to turn her back when she saw the grotesque figure of Bogo talking to the king. She knew he wouldn't recognize her, but the king was an open mouth and if he saw her, she'd come to have to greet him soon. It was at this turn that Judy accidentally bumped into someone. Both fell to the ground.

"Ouch!" Judy complained between her teeth, taking her paw to her bruised tail.

"I'm not so small that I can't be seen!" the voice in front of her, said. A paw was stretched out to help her. Judy accepted help without complaining, thanking him for the gesture.

"Thank you, and..." the phrase died when her eyes noticed the tail. The tail she wanted so badly to find.

"Any trouble, madam?" confused, he realized, even with the mask, the shock she was in.

"Mm... nothing. I apologize for going against you mister...?"

"Mathew Springfield. And.…?”

_Liar_! Judy's mind thought._ Let's get into the game, then!_

"Julia de la Court"

"Pleasure, Madame Julia." Nick smiled at her. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a dance with the princess."

"Absolutely."

"With your permissive."

Nick leaned forward and, after straightening out, passed her towards Alyanna.

_Just for today, Judy. For Alyanna._

Her paws trembled with fury. She wanted to be able to pick him up and arrest him right there. But this would only confuse the dance and hurt Alyanna. In a long sigh, Judy looked at the fox one last time seeing that he had already reached the princess and returned to the table where had the wine. She didn't want to get drunk, but a glass at that moment would calm her anger and the wind from the balcony would help her calmer her state.

The night progressed without any problem. The dance was going very well. From the balcony, Judy saw how Alyanna shone when dancing with Nick. If she knew it was him, the dance would be even more romantic, because, from his sincere smile, she could know that there was affection and....love. Yes, since they were little, the compassion between them was great. Already with her, they were always arguing, or they ended up catching each other. So much so that both of them did not talk to each other and, after his brother's death, the anger Judy felt for him increased more. Without delay, the chalice in her paws went against the ground. Her tears of anger began to appear in her eyes. That fox would pay for not helping her brother. For letting his friends steal his life. How could he go on with that life even though he knew his sister had the same fate as Jack? How could he have become a legend and a hero? Unscrupulously, that fox should be behind bars and not be admired by everyone and everything.

"So much violence leads nowhere," the voice she hated the most, took her breath away. "What makes you suffer so much?”

_You, unscrupulous pirate. _Yes, she wanted to shout at him. But she had to put up with it.

"Things of life. It will pass. Shouldn't you be dancing with the princess? She's not happy just dancing one dance with the same pair!"

"I'll leave it until later. I need some fresh air." Nick walked past her and bent over the parapet. "It's a magnificent night tonight, don't you think, Miss Julia?"

"Yes, magnificent" was true. The full moon over the starry sky and the sound of the waves of the sea, in fact, it was a magnificent landscape.

"As beautiful as the moon is our princess!"

_What new!_

"The princess is really pretty. But her heart is even more beautiful." Despite being angry, she approached him and also leaned over the parapet.

"Those eyes were blue as the sea. Her fur as white as snow. Her... Oops, sorry. I got excited... Ahahaha!" Nick took his paw behind his head as a sign of embarrassment. Judy only shook her paw in a sign of: 'No problem at all', but she kept her gaze on the sea.

"If I were a male, he'd be like that too."

"I knew that females also coveted her."

"Don't exaggerate, Mr. Matthew. I've known her for many years, and I don't just see the outer beauty."

"Wow, can I know how many years you've known her?"

_Do you want the truth? So, let's go_.

"Since I was practically born. We're best friends, no matter how different my job is."

"Mm....so it's a long friendship." I don't remember Alyanna having a childhood friend named Julia.

"Really, but it wasn't just the two of us. There were three other mammals. But fate wanted us to separate, and each of us went on with our lives.”

"Mm... I see!”_ Wait a minute, this is familiar to me_." Can I be meddlesome and ask you something personal?" Now her attention was on him.

_It cannot be her. Judy wouldn't come to Alyanna's ball. They don't get along. What a sense it would make. Or, is there something I don't know about?_

Confused, very confused he was.

"It can if it's not something intimate."

"I wanted to ask what..." his words died when Benjamin interrupted them.

Out of breath, he put his paws on his knees trying to control his breathing.

"Wow... What's up, buddy?"

"The...guar....!"

"Calm down. Take a deep breath!" Nick approached the Cheetah and put a paw on his shoulder.

That's when Judy saw the guards coming at them. The guns were already pointed, and Bogo had in his expression that he would shoot without pity.

"Runaway," she said. Both looked at her confused. "Don't look at me like that. Runaway while you can. I'll distract them!"

Judy began to walk in broad steps to stop a disaster on the day that was important to Alyanna. However, her steps were interrupted, when one paw grabbed her by the arm.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. Who are you?" invest

The answer was not possible. Bogo and the guards had already reached them and with that, the weapons were ready to fire.

"Wait, please!” Judy got in front of the buffalo, but she might as well be quiet.

"Get out of the way, you prostitute!" and with one arm, he pushed her, causing the poor rabbit to fall unbridled against the wall.

Nick could be all things. But never a mammal that hit innocent women. His anger hit all his body.

"You bastard!" The sword on his waist was drawn and pointed at the buffalo's chin.

"You realize that you are a dead fox. Just a snap of my fingers and BOOM"

"Stop, please!" staggering, still recovering from the storm, Judy tried to keep those idiots from killing themselves. Not at the Alyanna ball. "You want to catch up on your fight, do it somewhere else. Not on the coronation ball."

"I'll never let this scruple go away."

"I said and I repeat, take your disputes elsewhere. Not here."

"And who do you think you are to give me order, huh?"

"An unscrupulous prostitute too, Admiral Bogo!" and she removed the mask.

By Bogo's expression, she knew that he wouldn't take it easy with her. From Nick's, shocked expression and she loved to see it.

"For today, Alyanna asked me so that nothing would happen, even if he came to the ball."

"Alyanna's orders to me are nothing."

"I'm sure you didn't accept the king's orders either since he was the one who agreed to this." Lying, it was a fact, "And I see that you violated the royal etiquette. Would you like me to have a word with the king about this event?" With paws on her waist, Judy's eyebrows were together. She had had enough of that Buffalo until the tip of her ears. And there, she saw the opportunity to treat him as inferior as he did to her every…single…day.

"Tisk, we'll talk tomorrow. You will not escape for this one, Lieutenant Judith Hopps."

Bogo kept back his weapons and asked the guards to do the same. Then, they turned their backs on her and left.

"I can't believe what my eyes witness right now."

"Cut the shit, Wilde. For Alyanna, today you're free of me. Next time, you'll be behind bars rotting for your actions."

"I don't know what you're talking about! However, I have to thank you for your help!" Nick hemmed his sword back and approached the rabbit.

"As long as next time I see your snout behind bars, this night has never happened."

"So much hatred for me. Why sweetheart?"

"Don't play dumb. And don't call me that. Coming from you, my fury shudders."

"If it's about your brother, it's not my fault.” Nick strayed and sat on the wire chairs over there. Meanwhile, Benjamin had gone out to leave them alone.

"Do you want me to remind you of what happened?"

"Your vision is different from mine!"

"How is that different?" The change in Judy's voice was already visible.

"You say it's my fault, but you have to understand that it was entirely your fault.”

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear right. Can you repeat that?"

"Yours." Nick crossed his arms and legs at the same time.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Of course not, Carrots! It's not my fault that your brother was an idiot!"

_It was a drop of water. A wide-open paw went towards the face of the fox._

"You betrayed him with all your teeth. You told them they could be trusted. A mammal who would help him, just like your sister. And what happened?”

"I told them the truth. I told them what they told me. I did what I could. They could be trusted!”

"You were stupid at that moment. Your pure heart saw no evil in those eyes. I always warned my brother that it was a bad idea. But he worshipped you. He said that he wanted to be like you. A pirate of good, a hero for the kingdom, but what did that give? both their deaths. And it's all your fault. You killed the only important mammal in my life".

"Stop blaming me for an act I didn't do." The fox's angry expression gave chills to his greatest enemies. Besides, the Sword, once back on the belt, had been drawn and the sharp point of the metal pressed against the rabbit's neck. She did not deviate by a single millimeter.

"Go ahead. Kill me.” And at that moment, the tears that wanted so much to come out flowed down her cheeks. The pain, the anger, the hatred, all accumulated in years. Crying in silence and ignored at all costs, they left at that moment.

Nick's heart died at that time. He never thought Judy would suffer so much for the past. That was why she was so obsessed with arresting him. But it wasn't his fault, not entirely. If he had known in advance, none of that would have happened.

** _To be continued…_ **


	4. Past Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Little Bit of the background. More will be added in the story on the future. ;D

"You must understand that pirate life is not for everyone!" Judy was trying to warn of the disadvantages and dangers of becoming a Pirate.

There would be many mammals who wouldn't like his reputation. There would be others who would idolize him. However, that was not what Judy wanted for her brother. She would like him to stay in the royal guard since he was a great warrior.

"Nick will introduce us to his master. He indicates that he is a good master and that he will help us establish a respectable pirate life," Jack's gray eyes glowed as he spoke.

_Of course, it had to be that idiot._

"Nick may have had a great life as a pirate. But that doesn't mean it's for everyone."

"Oh, come on, sis. You'll see that Alisha and I will make great pirates. Besides, we'll be the first couple to sail the seas."

Yeah, she'd forgotten that Nick was her brother-in-law.

"Okay. And when do you start training?"

"Tomorrow. Nick comes to pick us up very early and we go to Lord John to see us.”

Judy recreated the lord's image. She didn't think that charming-eyed black wolf was a Lord, but everyone treated him that way.

"I will go with you. At least to the Ship."

"Okay.”

Jack was older than Judy for five years. She was eighteen years old and Jack was twenty-three. Alisha was one year younger than her husband and Nick one year older than Judy.

She had never opposed anything in her brother's choices, but she will never accept that he was a pirate. The flame was chasing that name, and even though some did good, they always ended up screwing up and their reputation fell apart. However, it was new to have a couple was pirates. So much so, that the kingdoms became curious and began to comment that it would be a blessing for piracy. Something new and good for the future. However, something touched Judy's sixth sense. Something didn't smell good and she didn't like his brother's going to talk with John. Even though it was an indication of the legendary Nicholas Wilde. Yes, even then he was known by that name.

The next morning, Judy had got up earlier. Sleep was not easy, and anxiety was killing her inside. Judy came down the stairs and ran into someone she least wanted.

"Good morning to you, too, grumpy!" Nick greeted her.

The fox was sitting at the table having breakfast.

She didn't know when or why, but since her brother had been married for two years, they had shared the same house, leaving the other for the couple.

"I would be in a much better mood if my brother stayed quiet." Judy pulled the chair and sit down. She took the jug with the milk and poured it into the mug cup.

"Let him have fun. You'll see that everything will be fine. Lord John is a good mammal."

Judy stared at him with an arched eyebrow but did not answer, beginning to eat her breakfast. She didn't like that wolf and she wouldn't like it now.

After breakfast, and after they had prepared themselves, Jack and Alisha arrived at the brothers' house to pick them up. The walk through the market rejoiced a little of Judy's bad mood. When they reached the desired ship, the bad mood of the rabbit came back when she sees John on the boat. Nick wasted no time in greeting him. The affection between master and apprentice turned the rabbit's stomach. Then, Jack and Alisha followed closely. John greeted them with a smile and asked them to come in. Judy was greeted with a serious look and a closed smile.

"You can't come in!" and he turned his back and asked his apprentices to raise the bridge.

"What?" she shouted, "Get down the bridge now. I want to with my brother."

"Orders are orders. We cannot disobey them," said one of the apprentices.

"You have got to be kidding me. Either go down to the point or..."

"Or what?"

The rabbit's violet eyes met the emerald green of the troubled fox.

"Can you explain to me why I can't watch?"

"If you hate pirates, you are not ordered to put your feet on the ship. How can I explain, bad luck?"

"When I put my paws on you, you're a dead fox."

"Oh, what fear. I've been waiting, Carrots," and he laughed, deviating from the basement.

If she already hated him, at that moment she wanted to strangle him.

The hours passed and the worry was already beginning to cross the line. After walking the streets of the Kingdom of Zootopia and taking advantage of the opportunity to buy some food that was missing at home, Judy returned to the ship. The bridge was still up and none of the apprentices could be seen in the basement. Furious, she left her groceries in a corner and looked for a place where she could enter. She knew the ships from one end to the other. Due to her brother's obsession, the ships were familiar to her. Judy even knew the secret places. So, finding the entrance to that ship wouldn't be too difficult. Looking for a hole, she came across a small window. Strangely enough, the windows were not so close to the water, but that one was. Curiously, she climbed up some small drums that were there and that would allow her to be closer to the window. With her back to the wood of the ship, she turned her head to her right side and looked in. She saw John. He smiled from ear to ear, but couldn't find even his brother, sister-in-law, and Nick. On his paws a detail that might not be considered something alarming, but her sixth sense told her something else. One of his paws grabbed a small knife. The other had a handkerchief. It was once a white scarf, now stained with blood.

_What the hell?_

Her words were interrupted when the reflections of the two inert bodies on the ground met her eyes. She took a paw to her mouth in shock. Tears raced down her eyes, running mercilessly down her cheeks.

"Good work, Wilde. With this, you finish your pirate apprenticeship."

_Nick?_

**Later on,…**

Shock. Fury. Pain. Judy cried non-stop on the kitchen table in her house. She could complain. She could have gone to the royal guards or even to the king, indicating that Lord John, the admired pirate, was an assassin. Besides, Nick had been his accomplice. The door opened and closed very slowly.

"Judy?" he said surprised to see that she was still awake.

"I... I'll... kill you!"

Soon she grabbed the knife and ran towards him. The fox's back hit the wooden wall hard. His paws grabbed the fists of an angry rabbit.

"Calm down?!”

"Calm me down? After what you did?"

"I don't understand."

"You don't have a drop of feeling. Say goodbye to this world" and, uncontrollably, she did try to reach him, but without success.

Nick made her unbalance and she fell to the ground. The knife went to another corner of the house and he stayed on top of her.

"Will you please explain to me what this fury is about?"

"You killed them. You took them straight to their deaths. So young, newlyweds with a long-life expectancy."

"Don't tell me..."

"Where are your tears, your sick fox?"

"I had nothing to do with it."

"What do you mean, you had nothing to do with it? I heard him, Nicholas Wilde, I heard him tell you that this would end your pirate training."

"That..."

"You took my brother to his death. You took the only family, the most important mammal for his death. A dream destroyed. How could you?"

"And I was paralyzed. I never thought anything like this would happen.”

"From now on forget that I exist. I never want to see your face again on the face of the earth. If I find you again, you will go behind bars, Legendary Nicholas Wilde."

** _To be continued…_ **


	5. The discussion between the Princess and Judy

"I'll tell you again, it wasn't my fault."

"Whatever." Judy wiped her tears. "I won't do anything to you for today. But next time, I guarantee you'll stay behind the bars where you belong" and started walking into the dance.

"If you listened to me, you'd know it wasn't my fault," he sighed. It would be hard to make her hear him. And to tell her the truth of what happened, he'd have to be able to find her without him going behind bars.T

In a long sigh. He got up and went back inside the dance. He would dance one last time with the female who warmed his heart and returns to the ship.

The next day, Judy the night before had asked to go home early, so as soon as she arrived, she went to bed right away. The dress had been forgotten, but the mask had been removed. That night she dreamt of the events of that day, with her brother and sister-in-law and with...Nick, but in a very different way. She did not feel any hatred for him. No anger or resentment, but that she was being unfair not to hear him. Was it true that he had nothing to do with their death? Nick always got along well with his brother and loved his sister. Was she exaggerating and not letting him tell what happened? Lord Jonh was still alive, missing somewhere in the seas, but not dead. Besides Nick, she hoped to find the pirate who had killed her brother. Revenge blinded her and maybe that's why this hatred grew every time she saw Nick. Defeated in every way, she would have to get up and present herself at the police station. Oh, and she knew she would find an angry buffalo. As the day couldn't be going any worse.

ooOOOoo

"That idiot!" An angry fist went up against the solid mattress. "Why don't you believe me?"

"She can't even hear you, to be honest with you." The cheetah, sitting on the chair, wrote something on the scroll.

"Hate blinds her. And so do I..." a long sigh.

"I think you should meet her and clarify things."

"Easy to say." Nick sat on the bed and crossed his legs "If she sees me, arrest me without even listening to me."

"You're not a pirate?" the cheetah's eyes looked at the fox through the little glasses.

"What are you trying to say?"

"Use your skills. Didn't you do it in the past to get the female you wanted?"

"Judy is different, Ben." Nick sighed again: "Agile as she is, it will be difficult to find a way to catch her without a fight."

"Use your charm!"

"What? Puff...ahahahaha...what have you been drinking?"

"I don't understand that reaction!" Clawhauser raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You're not the one who claims that no one can resist you, why is she different?"

"You don't know her. I could tell you a great story, but another time. I have to prepare for the coronation of Princess Alyanna."

"Whatever!"

ooOOoo  
  


"You know you crossed the line yesterday, don't you?" Bogo's fury was very visible. His nostrils gasped violently.

Judy wanted to tell that idiot a few truths, but the coffee was tasting well and she didn't want to spoil its taste. So she ignored him. Her other colleagues, on the other paw, if there was a hole where they could hide, they would gladly do so.

"Ignoring me will only make it worse."

"Fire me, that's if what you want!" the patience was over. Although the idea of being fired didn't please her at all, because she fought all her life to reach a respected position, at that moment she didn't give a damn.

"I can't do that. You're my best lieutenant and these days we need your skills. Although I don't mind giving you a few days for your behavior yesterday!"

_Calling her a prostitute doesn't make him any different. Standing up to him is what makes him furious. Tsk_

"How many days' suspension?" she questioned. At least she could rest and do things in her way without that bully in the back.

"After today, a week. Clear your head and I want you to come calmly." Bogo got up from the table. "Take advantage of your obsession with capturing Wilde to put your skills to work again, this time without fail."

_How I hate you!_ Her mind whispered to her. At least she could capture him that week.

After lunch, it would then be a presentation of the princess to the kingdom. Not that it was the first time, nor would it be the last, but when Alyanna set foot on the royal balcony, it was to greet the villagers, give a speech and then sit down in the throne room to welcome the suitors. For this, and indispensably, Judy would be beside the princess at her request. Her opinion would be heard since it was not the first time that Judy had seen herself in that position. The king had once again called her to stand by him while he listened to the villagers' requests. For what? Well, her opinion seemed to be important, in a way, to the king. He said she was very cunning and would be attentive to the villagers who were cheats, and the decisions were well chosen with her help. And, as such, Alyanna wouldn't give up her opinion either. Upon reaching the castle, more properly the main entrance, the guards greeted her with a nod. She also greeted them and climbed up the short stairs to the great Royal door. Once inside, Judy walked into the throne room. But she suddenly stopped at the door before knocking. Inside, two voices were exalted. Violet eyes came to the guard guarding the door, who only answered her with a shrug of shoulders. Judy closed her eyes and took a deep breath before knocking and opening the large metal door ordered in gold. Her presence was not noticed, so when she closed the door, the rabbit decided not to interfere immediately.

"Cut the crap, Alyanna. There's no way I'm going to let that scruple ask for your paw in marriage. My eyes have already chosen the possible, so you will marry whoever I think is worthy of such" the king's fury was visible in his expression. Despite the reddish fur, it could see that his cheeks were burning with rage.

"Now, Father, this obligatory wedding thing is over. Since the pirates took over the neighboring kingdoms, you gave the order that I could choose any mammal."

"But I never thought my daughter would fall in love with an outlaw." Mark hit his foot furiously on the ground: "It's out of the question. If I know that Nicholas set foot in the royal palace, I'll cut his head off myself," and he ended the argument by turning his back on his daughter and walking to the door. Passing through the rabbit, he warned before leaving completely.

"Try to put sense into that senseless head. I don't even want Nicholas Wilde sitting in my chair!"

Alyanna's tears ran down her beautiful face. Judy looked at her with a sad expression, but she had to agree with the king. Nick was not welcome to be a future king.

"Alyanna..." began Judy by speaking as she approached her.

"I don't need any more sermons. I know you agree with my father."

"Of course I agree. As much as I hate to see you suffer, you can't continue with the decision to marry him."

"But you know that I love him. I won't be able to share a bed with another mammal" and Alyanna cried even more just thinking about it.

"But you already knew that would be your destiny. To marry whoever the king chooses" was stupid, thought Judy, but it was the tradition.

"Yeah, but ever since the pirates took over the neighboring kingdoms, I was hoping he'd let me marry whoever I want".

"Of the kingdom, not with a pirate."

"Damn it, Judy, why this anger against him?"

"You know why, Alyanna."

"Half. I only know what you told me or wanted to tell me. I haven't heard his part yet. And I doubt he's to blame for that."

"You too? You've lost your sanity." Judy's calm expression began to change. Even though she was facing a princess, she didn't care if she would spend a night in prison. After all, the princess's orders were also absolute.

"You and my father make a nice couple. You're dismissed for today. I don't need your opinion anymore."

"What?"

"I will receive them, but I will not choose any."

And with that, Alyanna began to walk towards the throne.

"Alyanna, please, I.…"

"Princess Alyanna from now on!" her voice, the tone of anger, hit Judy's heart like an arrow. "If you faced me again, you'll have a price on your head too. And if you try to kill Nick, I'll make you suffer the consequences myself. Dismissed."

Shock. It was the best word to describe how she felt. How, because of that Pirate, would Alyanna turn her back? Such a long-standing friendship because she agreed to arrest him? Something the princess already knew would happen?

"Whatever you say," Judy furiously replied, turning her back on the princess and walking back toward the big door where she opened it, but before she closed it, she announced herself.

"I will do everything I can to put Nicholas Wilde behind bars. And then you can decide what to do with me. If you kill me, it's a favor you do to my suffering," and the door was closed tightly, leaving a Vixen in shock because of the last words of the rabbit.  
  
**_To be continued..._**


	6. The day of Coronation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay. The ideas took time to blossom and I wasn't getting organized.   
Before proceeding to the story, I want to thank Cimar-WildeHopps for the attention given to my mind blocks with the story and for helping me review my English. I know I'm better, but the grammar and some sentence changes I still can't get them right in English.
> 
> ***  
Chapter Edited by Cimar-WildeHopps  
***

Devastated by the events, Judy ignored the crowd by the veranda of the main castle where Alyanna would give her speech. It was no longer possible to count the sighs coming from her lips. Her anger grew fast and was putting her on edge, and the completely absurd number of mammals in the atrium wasn't helping. It would be difficult to get past that crowd that anxiously waited for the princess to be present on the royal balcony.

_I will have to find a place to not get crushed._ Judy sighed for the thousandth time and her violet eyes looked for an escape. The streets had been blocked by the guards and all the other paths were filled with mammals. She could jump up to the roofs of the houses, and it would be a great idea if not for the day of the coronation. If they saw her doing such things, Alyanna would not forgive her and her fellow guards would put her behind bars.

Well, she already wanted to do that if she arrested the... _Argh!_ The thought of the name of that outlaw, made her fur shiver. Shaking her head in such a situation, she decided to go to the roof but to stay and watch the coronation. She would wait for Alyanna to finish her staged speech and, when the crowd dispersed a little, she would go home to rest and then think of a plan to capture the Pirate she hated the most on the face of the earth. Deciding on a plan, Judy spied a balcony in one of the nearby houses. Tall enough to look at others and perfect to see the whole crowd. Regardless of being 'kicked out' for a week from ZPD, if anything happened, she would help. Although Alyanna did not deserve it, Judy nevertheless considered the princess, her friend, to be someone important to her. A sister she had never had, apart from her deceased brother.

It didn't take long for the king to appear on the balcony. With arms stretched out as he approached the parapet, the applause, the murmurs of greetings and happiness in the mammals, filled the quiet silence of moments before. The king enjoyed the compliments for a moment and when he lowered his arms, the crowd quieted automatically.

"Greetings, mammals of Zootopia!" A very large 'Hey!' accompanied the king's smile. "As you all know, my dear daughter reached the age of marriage..." he paused as another 'hey' was heard in the crowd. "As we all know, our neighboring kingdoms were taken over by lawless pirates, and Zootopia has been kept from that same fate thanks to the efforts of our Royal Guard and our Admiral Bogo. Without this precious help, we would not be what we are today. A Kingdom of prosperity and peace!" He smiled with joy at the accompanying applause and saw a satisfied smile on Bogo's face.

A ‘Tsk' came from Judy.

_Ironic._

"I will not speak too much, for today will be the day for Princess Alyanna to give her first greeting to the mammals of our fair kingdom." Without any delay, the king turned his back on the population and stretched a paw in the direction of his daughter. Although still angry at the situation before, he smiled tenderly and sincerely, while Alyanna forced hers. Although she loved her father, their prior discussion was a cut to her heart.

_Suffering. Sorrow. Sadness and a love that is reciprocated but oppressed by a king and by what that dirty tod chose to be_. Judy thought. She knew that Nick loved her from the bottom of his heart. She also noticed it in his eyes, when the name of the princess was mentioned. It was impossible that he hadn't fallen in love with such a vixen. Beautiful in her clothes, eyes like a bright blue sky and fur like snow. Her curves left any mammal with their mouth open and Judy knew she hadn't given herself to anyone. So, purity was the most attractive of all the above. Being a virgin was a privilege. With another sigh, Judy leaned her chin against her knees. Her arms wrapped around her legs.

_And Nick will have all that and more..._ Suddenly, Judy shook her head.

_Get those thoughts out, Judith Hopps. Remember what happened to your brother because of him! Nicholas is an outlaw. An unscrupulous fox with no values! A womanizer's, a bully and a thief. Nick is... Nick is..._

Who did she want to fool? Although she hated him with all her being, wanted him behind bars and eagerly awaiting her smile after knowing that he would rot in prison and, or worse, the king would hang him in the square in front of... _Gulp!_ Judy swallowed it dry and shook her head again. She didn't want it to get that far.

Behind bars would be enough.

The applause and whistling of the crowd awakened her from her thoughts. Alyanna, like her father, but instead of raising her arms, raised her paw to quiet the crowd before she began to speak.

___________

"Finally, we succeeded.” Nick wiped the sweat from his forehead. The guard had been well distributed and the entrance trill was difficult to sneak through.

Clawhauser and Finnick, meanwhile, helped him go unnoticed. Joining the crowd was also a difficult task, as there were guards everywhere. Good thing the disguise was excellent. In the midst of so many foxes, he wouldn't be recognized...or so he thought. On the roof of one of the houses, violet eyes met his emerald green for nary a moment. In that gaze there was visible hatred, the smell of revenge, but... there was something else. Another deeper feeling, impossible to perceive. Instinctively, his paw went against the fist of the dagger in his belt. The sword had been left behind so as not to be caught. However, after those moments of exchanging glances, Judy deflected hers and remained quiet. He watched her sigh before she riveted her eyes ahead once more.

_What happened?_

Confused by her not attacking him, he relaxed his shoulders and diverted his attention to the princess. An angel descended from heaven. An unusual Vixen. A pure and beautiful female.

"Do you need a handkerchief?" Finnick spoke with his arms crossed. An arched eyebrow showed his displeasure at the 'passionate' expression of his master.

"No, thank you!” Nick pulled himself together and, without knowing why his eyes met a figure sitting on the roof.

Sadness. Sorrow. Suffering. Those were the feelings that the rabbit's expression told him. His attention was restored to the princess. Once again, the question stopped in the air. _What would have happened?_

His thoughts were withdrawn to reality after the crowd began to applaud the princess. It was time for her to return to the throne room.

"It's time, my friends!” With a smile on his face, he began to walk forward before being interrupted by the words of the little fox.

"There's no way we're going after you. I love my life. While you enchant the princess, we will have fun in the taverns." Finnick shook his paw in disarray and turned his back on his master.

There were times when Nick's patience dwindled, and he felt like he wanted to beat that little fox. However, he decided not to be upset by the last-minute decision. Smiling at Clawhauser, he indicates with his gaze that it would be okay to leave him alone. After an abrupt farewell, Nick returned his way to the castle. At the same moment, he looked back at the roof, finding it void. His senses spiked, ears raised and paw next to his dagger, waiting for a surprise attack. Seeing that after a few minutes nothing happened, he relaxed and along with other suitors, he managed to enter the castle without an issue.

__________

Night fell. In the comfort of the office, papers scattered over the oval table, the mess indicating a plan that would be a success. For days he and his subordinates had gathered information, and now he had all he needed for this elaborate plan. The wine was poured into his metal cup, he crossed his black leather boots over the table as his pipe was lit, and the bowl went to meet his lips.

"Let's see how you do, Nicholas Wilde, when I have with me what's most precious to you." An evil smile reappeared on his lips and his words were heard through the wooden walls. "However, we need to remove an obstacle first."

_What will be the reaction when those angry eyes see me again?_

He laughed like a mad mammal, satisfied with what he had in mind. It would be his triumph before he could sit on the throne most desired by all pirates.

** _To be continued…_ **


	7. Princess Kidnapping

_Chapter edited by Cimar-WildeHopps _  
________________________________  
  
It wasn't easy and it never would be. Things could go wrong, he knew that. The line was long. Nick already knew about the number of suitors who were going to propose to Alyanna, but he never thought there would be...so many! Two, three, four hours... how many hours had he been in line for waiting to be received by her?

Nick had lost count.

He could use his skills to get to the princess in the first place, but that would attract other mammal's eyes. So, his patience had to be controlled with something. Skillful with his paws, he soon grabbed a small wooden board he had in his jacket and started sculpting something. Obviously, in his mind, it would be a perfect gift to win her affections, although he already had something to give her. However, after the wooden stick began to gain some form, Nick arched his eyebrow. What he was sculpting was not at all similar to a fox, but rather to a... _Argh!_ With a small dagger, he 'erased' the physiology and started again.

Finally, the line began to move. What was slow before, was now moving a little faster. Possibly, Alyanna's patience was running out and so the conversation between potential suitors was brief. Nick could see the various sad expressions in the mammals leaving the throne room. A glimmer of hope covered his passionate heart. Also, he had the advantage of knowing her since he was a child, so he wouldn't lose to those males.

_Audacity, friend, and very calm. You will be the ideal prince for the princess._ He thought, and the smirk smile reappeared on his lips. However, when he reached the throne room, Nick looked up. His eyes went towards the bored figure of the princess.

_Great!_

But that's not all his eyes were looking for. Normally, Judy would be beside the princess giving her advice. Even if they didn’t get along, she'd be playing her part. Ever since he knew her, Judy was an important figure in the king's and princess's decisions. Many of these, where they went straight to piracy and in which Nick had no advantage. At that time the hatred for her grew quite a lot. After several years, he ended up learning how to control and play at those emotions. However, at that very moment, concern took hold of him. It was strange that she wasn't there. To his memory, came the expression he had observed hours before on the roof.

Something must have happened.

"Next!”

The voice of the princess awakened him from his thoughts. Smiling, the line was faster. The sculpture was forgotten and stored back in his pocket. He would have time later to sculpt it later, but for now, he would leave the princess dazzled by... nothing more than his charm!

**_______**

Judy had finished washing her fur. The heat of the day had left her a little dirty and it had begun to be bothersome. So, she made good use of the time inside her porcelain bathtub; an essential commodity that she was proud to have with her when she bought it with her first. During that time in the bath, her emotions began to crush her. By now, Alyanna should be talking to her suitors in the garden or throne room...and Judy would know who he was. Nick was a skillful hustler, an invented name and a different look and disguise and the king wouldn't realize it was him. But it wasn't the coexistence between them that bothered her, it was something different in which she was not realizing or did not want to realize. She repeated every day to her mind that she hated that fox, that she wanted to see him behind bars, that he confessed his crime, and that she would laugh in his face when she saw him hurt badly. But her heart told her something different. Something that...

** _BOOM..._ **

An explosion near her house pulled her out of her thoughts. From her small window, she saw fire licking the sky near the port. There would be at least one ship of the royal guard and another of some fishermammal aflame it would seem. Distressed by what had happened, she hopped from the tub and grabbed some black faux-leather Bermuda shorts, a white blouse with sleeves and put on her black boots as well. The belt where she had the sword, was placed on her waist. However, her sudden haste was abruptly interrupted. Two distressed knocks on the door focused her attention on other than the firewall near the ocean.

_Who would that be_? She grumbled to herself.

Without asking who it was, she went towards the door and opened it. Her expression changed when she saw who was at the door. Without delay, she drew her sword and pointed the blade at the mammal's neck.

He didn't move a millimeter.

"Do you realize that I could kill you right now?!” Judy spoke with her eyebrows together.

"But I know you won't do it," the voice said. His expression showed a conflict of emotions.

"And who said you would?" The tip of the blade did its job, a line of blood running down the mammal's neck.

"Your gaze!”

It was the turn of the shock in the rabbit's expression. Her eyes opened and her paw shacked a little, holding her sword tight again.

"You are very observant.”

"I learned from the best," he sighed. "Your business with me can be dealt with later. We have more serious problems."

"Apart from the explosion at the port, what else is going on? The guards are after you?" Judy looked over his shoulder to verify the veracity of her words, but she didn't see any royal guards.

"The princess was kidnapped," he said in an uncomfortable sigh.

"What?" the sword was drawn from his neck, Judy's expression slack-jawed.

"You're joking, aren't you?" The silence and closed eyes gave the confirmation she needed. "How? How did you let her be kidnapped?"

"I... don’t know..." he was sincere. The hurt in his voice was understandable. His eyes were on the ground and not on the rabbit's eyes, but in the meantime, Judy's expression changed to that of pure fury.

"You are the most sought-after pirate in all of Zootopia. The skillful multifaceted and magnificent swordsmammal. How, Nicholas Wilde...how was the female you love and had been with been KIDNAPPED?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" he shouted. Only then did his emerald green eyes rest on the rabbit's violets. Never in so many years had she heard him scream like that. Never since he was a child had she seen him so angry.

The silence fell on them for seconds. Judy diverted her attention to another explosion, but closer.

"I don't know how and don't want to understand that. I'll find out what's going on and go after the princess."

Without staring at him, she began to walk. However, her steps were interrupted when an arm crossed in front of her. She turned her head a little to her left and stared at him with her eyebrows together.

"I need your help to find her.”

Judy scoffed. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to do that yourself," she answered, removing his arm from her front, but Nick grabbed the right wrist without straying an inch.

"Yes, I could, but I have no idea who or how or where she went.”

"I tell you again, it has nothing to do with me. You're good at figuring things out. Do your part, and I'll do mine, okay?"

"How can you be so COLD about the kidnapping of the princess?" he shouted as she tried again to pass through the door.

"Don't talk about what you don't know. I'll go find the princess, but I'll do it my way. And, PLEASE, let me go!" Judy tried to let go, but that made Nick even angrier.

With the other paw vacant, he picked up her left wrist and leaned it against the wall. Their snouts were just a few centimeters apart.

"You will help me find the princess, whether you like it or not."

"Since when do you give me orders?" Judy tried to release herself, but as she tried, the fox's body leaned more and more, holding her movements together. An embrace that almost looked romantic if not for the fury in the rabbit's gaze and the heat in the fox.

"It may sound like an order, but in fact I ask you to help me, from the bottom of my heart, to find the princess. After we find her, you can put me behind bars. I'll surrender myself." Nick sighed and relieved the pressure of his body next to hers. Judy also took a deep breath. She didn't want to have to work with him at all. The idea disgusted her. But even though she was still upset about the princess's attitude. Alyanna was very important in her life.

"All right!” Judy stretched her paw. Nick released her paws. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll see what happened. These explosions aren't normal."

"I have an idea of who might have caused them!" Nick replied. Stroking his paw over his chin, he pondered a lot about who it might be. But one thing he was sure of, those explosions were the work of a pirate.

"Great!" Judy agreed. "However, I am going alone. I don't want Bogo to see me with you!"

"Oh, are you afraid of what the big guy might think?"

"I don’t care about what Bogo thinks," she snapped back. "I don't want to be seen next to an unscrupulous pirate like you. I still want to maintain my reputation among the citizens."

"Mmm...Mmm...one day you'll wish you'd swallowed those words of yours!" Nick whispered in her ear, before leaving and venturing through the streets of Zootopia through the shadows.

Although confused, Judy wasted no more time and headed towards the port.

____________________

** _Hours before..._ **

The line was finally ending. His turn was almost over. Just to think that he was so close to the princess, his heart was beating more and more. When the mammal in front of him, a fox-like him, was dispatched, the face the princess made when she saw another fox, made Nick laugh. This laugh, not loud, but not very quiet, aroused curiosity in the princess. She'd recognize it anywhere. With her eyes wide open in astonishment, she straightened up on the throne and whispered, as Nick approached to kiss the palm of her paw.

"Nick?" her heart was beating wildly. Alyanna couldn't believe what her eyes saw. The love of her life there. She had hoped to see him among the suitors, but after so many, that hope had ended.

The fox just nodded her head and took a finger to her lips to silence her.

"Ask for permission to rest for a while. Meet me in the main garden. I have something to tell you."

"How? I can't leave here?" The blue eyes went against the figure of the king on the throne beside her, who faced her confused.

"I will pretend that you disowned me. Ask him to get some air."

"I'll try!”

"With pleasure, princess."

"Dismissed," she said loudly and gave an ugly glare towards the dispatched suitor.

Nick faked his anguish and walked away, crossing the line and leaving the throne room. However, the king, now with full attention on his daughter, asked what was going on. Alyanna asked for a few minutes' breaks to get some air and stretch her legs after so many hours. The king could protest, but even he also wanted a break, so he agreed, giving half an hour to the princess to recover. Then, he rose from the throne and announced the break to those present in the room. Despite the disappointment in their faces, they decided to accept the princess's decision.

In the garden, Alyanna searched for Nick, finding him sitting near a marble fountain. He stood up and wasted no time, catching her in a strong, loving embrace.

"It's been a long time, Alyanna." Tears invaded his eyes, but they didn't fall. The princess returned the hug and smiled.

"I thought I would never hug my dear friend Nicholas Wilde again!"

He loosens the hug but grabbed her paws.

"Even though I chose this life, I never stopped seeing you. Even though I couldn't get any closer to you, I watched you from afar. How beautiful you had become", he said dazzled. On the other hand, Alyanna's embarrassment grew in stature. Her cheeks were warm, and she was thankful for it being nighttime to hide her growing blush. After all, the night came early, and she should have been sitting on the throne for many hours.

"What do you want to talk to me about? I have very little time to be here," she said, making a sad expression.

"First, let me pick up something to complement what I'm about to say."

Dropping Alyanna's paws, he turned his back and walked to the flowerbed containing white roses, the princess's favorite. Distracted, at just the right moment, he never noticed a paw covering the princess's snout. She barely had time to scream, because the scarf that he was holding contained a tranquilizer. It smelled bad and she fainted into the arms of who had attacked her. Without noise and, very carefully, the attacker managed to remove Alyanna, without Nick's notice. Years of training, the mammal made his escape a success.

"Alyanna, I..." the rose fell to the ground. "ALYANNA..." he shouted her name several times, searching, furiously all over the garden. His heart raced. Terror invaded him. "It can't be!" he said in shock. _They had kidnapped her without him noticing? It was not possible. _His shouts had attracted the guards, who stared around in bewilderment. "Guards, warn the king. His daughter was kidnapped!" With that warning shout, the guards fled to the inner chamber as an alarm was raised. Meanwhile, Nick fled the grounds, intent on finding his friend.

** _To be continued…_ **


	8. Nicholas Wilde Apprentice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited by Cimar-WildeHopps

Judy ran as fast as she could. The royal wharf was not far from her home, but she still gave it all until she was forced to stop with panting breaths and burning muscles screeching at her to stop. Her paws went against her knees, supporting her bent body, while she desperately tried to catch her breath. She had come close to the pier. There, Judy was able to notice the damage caused. The explosion had been immense, but luckily no one seemed to have been hurt in the process as the target was an abandoned pier. The frightened eyes of the fishermammals, the shock of the females who worked in the bars near the wharf and the trembling of the kits grabbing the legs of their mothers from those who lived nearby, were visible. Straightening up, she saw Bogo. His voice was muffled by the noise of the environment. His arm was stretched out, giving directions to the other guards. His expression said it all. He was more than furious.

"Stop him!”

A female voice screamed at her side. Judy looked in the direction of where the female was pointing. A shadow. The shadow of a fleeing mammal. _Had he caused the chaos? _Even though she wasn't sure, Judy decided to start running after him. However, her race was interrupted by another explosion. This time, near the castle.

"What?" she said between her teeth. Her shocked expression was visible in her eyes as confusion set in. _What the hell was going on?_

"This is too much," shouted Bogo. Judy's ears turned to the thick voice of her boss. "Alonso, Alfred, Wolford, go to the castle. Make sure the king is well. I'll be right behind you".

One more bang, this time on the north side of the pier, outside near the fishermen's port and the entrance to the neighborhood’s merchandise. It was the last drop for Bogo. His chin did not go to the ground because nature did not allow it. Both his paws went against his face, sliding down his frustrated expression. Judy, in turn, realized that those explosions were to attract the attention of the guards, so the capture of the Princess was easier to pass unnoticed.

_Damn it! I won't make it that easy for you!_ She thought.

"Please stop him. He stole something precious from me!"

Again, the same female voice. Judy caught the wolf's eye. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Where?!” Judy questioned, approaching her.

"Over there" the female pointed through a street that would give access to the dunes further southwest of the coast. "Please stop him. He stole the necklace that my dead husband gave me."

Judy simply nodded, affirmatively, and started running.

________________

_This really is the work of a pirate's paw._

Crouching on the wooden floor, once intact, but now destroyed, with his thumb and forefinger, Nick rubbed what appeared to be sulfur...and the good stuff. Besides, it wasn't just the sulfur, but the entire execution of the explosion. Everything detailed to the smallest degree and everything so well...a pirate was well known for this kind of thing came to his mind and it would be him, in fact, who would have the princess.

"Halt there!" the known scream, made Nick stand up and approach a small wooden stick in front of him, giving support to his paws. Glancing forward, he noticed Judy. His eyes went against the figure she was chasing, and he noticed the mammal that had stopped at the rabbit's scream.

"Taking advantage of the explosions to steal? You don't have the slightest shame!" Although fatigue had already set in, she managed to talk and run faster. Until then, her running was suddenly interrupted.

"What? This?" On the mammal's index finger hovered a necklace adorned with crimson stones. A smile was placed on his face.

"Just surrender now," she shouted, eyes watching the other mammal's paw reach for a sword. "Because I don't have time for that." The rabbit's paws were already positioned near the fist of her sword. The defensive fighting position was also visible in her small body.

"Otherwise you have time for...this? Why did you come running after me so hard? After all, it's just a necklace" he shrugged his shoulders selflessly.

Even his voice annoyed her. Judy had to take a deep breath.

"For you a simple necklace. For that poor female, it is something precious. Besides, that's not all you stole, is it?"

"Oh, I see that the famous Lieutenant Judith Hopps is very astute and observant after all." Again, the smirk smile hovered over his lips. The smile that Judy found so familiar and so annoying at the same time.

"Give me back the necklace and the bag on your waist. I will let you go this time."

"Oh, but I can't do that."

“What do you mean, " with an arched eyebrow, she watched the mammal carefully in front of her. The darkness did not let her know what kind it was. Outside the moonlight, only occasionally, she could see the smile on his face. The only part of the mammal that was exposed to the natural light of the moon.

"I don't want to fight you. That would make my master furious. But I can't give you back what I stole either."

"Your master?” Judy repeated confusing words. There was something she did not perceive.

However, Nick watched the scene. Although he didn't like the other mammal's attitude at all, he wanted to see how Judy would go about it.

"Yes, I need this. These objects will provide great value for our travels."

"Travel?” _Wait a minute?_ "Show yourself!" demanded, Judy at the same time, drew her sword and positioned it in front of her.

"With pleasure, my Lady!”

The mammal has stepped forward. The natural light of the moon made it clear which mammal it was. A fox. His fur was all black, except for a few white spots. The tip of his tail was half white, half black and his eyes reminded her of blue crystals. He was a much prettier fox than Nick. Judy had to ponder such a thing, but her fascination ended as soon as her violet eyes recognized the garments.

"Don't tell me..." She paused, her teeth gnashing severely. "... by the gods, Nicholas Wilde, I will kill you myself." She cried out and her attention was placed on the fox who watched her.

_How did she know that he was there? Oh, her hearing. What an idiot!_

Sighing, Nick came out of place and, in one jump, he landed next to the rabbit to be received with the tip of the sword on his neck.

"And you still want me to cooperate with you. Not over my dead body!" Taking a deep breath trying to control her agitation, she spoke again. Or, better said, she demanded. "Tell your lackey to return the things he stole and NOW!".

"Oh, take it easy with that" Nick raised his arms in a sign of 'peace'. Then his eyes met his apprentice. The other fox trembled: "Since when did I ask you to do such a thing?"

"But...Lord...?" The words were shaky.

"I never asked you for money. I don't need such a thing. I have enough. What gave you the idea for such nonsense?"

"I've been training for days and you never gave me your blessing. I thought that seeing what other pirates do, this was a good gift. After all, these things were lost in the explosions and should give a good amount to...!"

"SHUT UP!”

The fur of the obsidian fox shivered.

"Carrots, honey, you know me well and you know I wouldn't do such a thing to...Wow...be careful. That thing is dangerous."

Judy stuck the sword more in his neck, adding another thread of blood to the previous one. Did she regret making him bleed? No. And in the face of such a scene in a less appropriate situation, she would have more desire to beat him. But...her heart contradicted her head, asking her to stop before making any mistakes.

"Do I know you that well?" she answered him back in a bitter tone. "Jack suffered by your paws, why would it be any different if I believed you had nothing to do with it?"

Nick sighed. "As for your brother, you have to give me a chance to explain myself. As for what my apprentice did here, I swear by all the gods that I had nothing to do with it."

Seeing his master in trouble, he decided to remove the bag attached to his belt and, together with the necklace, he approached Nick and passed it on to him. His ears were down, and he didn't even dare to look into his master's eyes. Nick received the things and stretched his paw to deliver them to Judy. Meanwhile, the rabbit had already put down her sword, though kept her paw near its pommel.

"I apologize for my apprentice. Rest assured that I will apply punishment to him that he will regret what he has done." Then, turning his back on Judy, he looked directly at his apprentice. With paws on his waist, the fury was visible in Nick's expression, as well as in his voice. "Can you explain to me in detail why this was so?" With his eyebrows arched, the other fox swallowed dry. _Would I tell the truth, or would I let my master punish me?_

"Master...I wanted you...in fact…” taking a deep breath, he said at once. "I have been with you for almost two years and I am just a simple apprentice. Whenever you require something, I am available. Neither Clawhauser nor Finnick make your extravagant requests. On the contrary, they laugh at me when I make them. Besides, we're in need of remodeling the _Safira_ and I thought that... "

"You thought wrong!" He screamed. His fury shown through his bared fangs. "I may be a pirate, but I have my principles. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" head down, he said in a whisper.

"I'm glad you understand now!" Nick sighed "Now..." and turned his back on his apprentice, looking at the rabbit. "...Carrots, I need..." his words died in his mouth, being interspersed with hers.

"After that? Forget our agreement. I will go alone in search of the princess. I won't join you at all if your apprentice doesn't even behave. I can imagine what the rest of your _crew_ might do." She tied the bag to her belt and kept the necklace in one of her pockets. Without another word, she turned her back on the two foxes.

Nick could go after her, grab her wrist and make her understand the gravity of the situation. However, he knew it would have to be forceful with her and would bring her along anyway. However, he now had a very important matter to resolve with his apprentice. Turning back to the fox, Nick knew that his blue eyes were looking for a hole to get into. Well, the punishment would be severe.

"When I can finally convince her to join us, you ruined everything. What were you thinking? What did they give you to drink?" His paws moved as he was furious. The other fox tried to find a plausible explanation. An explanation that would not make his master even more furious. However, there was no explanation to justify his actions and he would know that Nick had understood his intention for such an event. For this reason, he decided to remain silent, thus giving his answer. For the twentieth time, Nick sighed and turned his eyes. He had to apply a punishment so that he could perceive the acts of his actions.

"Let's go back to the _Safira_. There, I will give your punishment and plan again how I will bring the rabbit back."

Turning away, he passed by the fox, leaving the fox unable to face him, but who followed his master right away.

** _To be continued…_ **


	9. A little late on my Updates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, read ^^

Hello there. 

So, in this Sunday and Monday I will be on the Hospital because I will be go under surgery. It's a little surgery, but I will be away for almost a week from PC. 

Normally, I update my chapter week a week, but this time will be two weeks. So, please, don't give up on me. 

The next chapter from this story is already with Cimar-WildeHopps. I tell him that he have two weeks to edit the chapter because I will be away, like I said, from PC. 

Probably, next weekend I will updated the chapter 08 and will beg to Cimar for edit the chapter 09 for me to update the 2 in a round. I'm currently working on the chapter 09 so, I haven't, yet, tell Cimar if he can edit the both of them. Let's see. 

Anyway, just wanted you guys to know and see you soon 😘😊


	10. Nick, the Kidnapper?

** _Chapter Edited by Chimar-WildeHopps_ **

"This can't go on like this!" His paw violently smashed onto the arm one of the throne chairs. "Nicholas Wilde should have been behind bars long ago. Your incompetence led to the kidnapping of my daughter and her disappearance!" Furious. His expression was half-closed, and his canines were on display.

However, Bogo's calm had not been completely lost. The turning of his eyes was constant and so was his sighs, but even so, the buffalo kept his posture. A posture that was difficult to maintain under the king's tirade.

"I repeat my words again. Nicholas may be many things, but there is something I have learned over all these years. A thief yes, a cheat too...but never a kidnapper. Also, you yourself said that he was in love with your daughter. He's already being chased by several mammals and I doubt very much that he would want to be chased by his future father-in-law, don't you think?"

Again, the wood of the throne suffered the king's fury.

"That unscrupulous pirate will never be my son-in-law. I would silence that line of thought, Bogo!"

"I am not saying that he will be your son-in-law, but you have to consider that he is not the only one who wants the kingdom of Zootopia. The only kingdom that still remains to be conquered."

The king sneered "Who else would attempt this? And why kidnap my daughter?"

"You are perfectly aware that your daughter is your weak point, correct? Maybe that's where they want to start." Bogo simply shrugged his shoulders.

Silence fell on them both, and the king's attention was drawn to anywhere but where Bogo stood. Still, with an angry expression, his eyes were thoughtful.

__________________________________________________________

_What should I expect? It was normal for his lackeys to be corrupt just like his master._

The scene that had just happened would not leave her mind. Furious at what her eyes had seen moments earlier, it was obvious that she would not follow onto that pirate's ship in search of the princess. She herself would arrange her crew, one that was willing to help her rescue the princess. Surely many would agree on a journey into the unknown. The beauty of the princess was irresistible, and if they did so, the king would repay them generously. Suddenly, there in her memory, she sees the blue eyes of that fox. A crystalline, deep blue. A gaze that was irresistible and that any female would get lost within. She had to admit. He was more handsome than Nick. A 'heartbeat' made Judy stop walking and take her paw to her chest. It wasn't the first time this had happened. Every time she mentioned his name.

Her heartbeat accelerated further.

_No, Judy, you can't have those feelings for him. Please, heart, don't betray me._

Shaking her paw in front of her, she concentrated again and continued on her way to the castle. She had just returned the necklace to the poor wolf who'd had it stolen, who thanked her with a smile on her face. And the bag, she would give it to Bogo. Without knowing where that fox had stolen it, she wouldn't waste any more time looking for the mammal that it belonged to. Bogo would have that job. It didn't take her long to get to the castle. However, Judy stopped before entering to observe the damage.

** ________________________________ **

"I don't know what you were thinking!" Legs crossed and stretched out on the wooden table in front of him, he massaged his forehead to relieve the pressure. His head hurt and the plan to 'kidnap' the bunny back wouldn't be easy.

In front of him stood another fox. His gaze was caught on the ground, finding the wood more important than the fury in his master's expression. He gripped his hat in his paws, both pressing the fabric with anger. Anger at his attitude was not appreciated and anger at that stupid rabbit for interrupting and being where she shouldn't have been.

"I apologize for my act!"

"I'm glad you recognize what you've done!" Nick breathed a heavy sigh. "But I'm going to need the entire crew to start in on the princess's rescue. Putting you in the brig won't do me much good, so..." A mischievous smile reappeared on Nick's face. Removing his legs from the table, he came forward. His elbows landed on the table, his paws intertwined on each with his chin resting on them. At that very moment, the other fox's attention met the expression of his master. Then he swallowed it dry. He knew exactly what was on his mind.

_Oh no, here we go._

"... The rudder will be at your entire disposal during the journey."

The other fox took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The punishment wasn't severe, which made him breathe a sigh of relief and was better than being locked behind bars down in the brig, but the rudder was the position he hated the most. The reason? Simple. It was boring.

"Anything else, sir?" he said in a dry tone. At another time, he might have contradicted the order, but at that moment he preferred to keep quiet before his master changed his mind.

"No. Dismissed."

Bowing a little, he put his hat back on his head and left his master's quarters with quick strides. Outside, before climbing the stairs to go to his new job, he leaned against the door. Closing his fist tightly, his eyes were burning with anger. Two years and Nick still treated him like a simple apprentice. After all, he had been through, his pride had been wounded over and over again and that was how he was treated. Suddenly, to his memory came that rabbit. The rabbit was indeed important to his master. A demonic smile reappeared on his lips.

_Oh, what an idiot I was. I will be able to use this as an advantage. Don't wait too long, Captain._

He climbed the stairs to the helm with a grin.

** ________________________________ **

** **

The destruction was great. The main part of the castle, once elegant, was nothing but shattered stones and rubble on the ground. Judy had to avert her eyes to the side as she passed through the wreckage to enter.

_Poor mammals..._she thought, seeing some bodies crushed by the wreckage.

Removing this image from her head, she hurried to go to the throne room, passing panicking mammals along the way. Once inside, she noticed the king and her boss. The two spoke, yet through all the din around her, she did not understand. However, in both expressions, it was possible to see that Bogo was very patient and the king was very agitated. Curious, she came a little closer until she could decipher what they are talking about.

"I repeat it again. We will capture Wilde, but now we have to worry about other possibilities. Other pirates may have kidnapped the princess."

"I will continue with my decision. I will send my crew to search for Wilde's ship. You can send your agents wherever you want." With that said, the king walked away from the buffalo and left the room through another door.

Bogo took his paw to his face and slid it, attempting to quell his frustration. Taking a deep breath, he, too, left through the door where the king had passed.

Judy, in turn, stood in the same place. She could run after them and indicate that Nick hadn't been the kidnapper and would also help find the princess. However, she did not move a millimeter. She knew that neither the king nor Bogo would listen to her. With a long sigh, she turned around and started walking in the direction she had entered. Only, her steps were interrupted by another loud explosion and everything...became dark.

** _To be continued…_ **


	11. Judy Wounded

** Edited by: ** @Cimar-WildeHopps    
  


The scene was surreal; something you didn't see every day. Watching what was going on, the crew approached each other, their initial curiosity giving way to a sadness that was certainly uncommon. Their days were constantly happy. The usual whistling and songs of the crew encouraged the mammals in their activities, from sunrise to sunset. However, at that moment, silence gave way. The only sound that broke that heavy environment was the gentle beating of small waves breaking on the ship.

There was nothing to say.

They kept their muzzles shut until the door cracked open. The first to reappear was Clawhauser; his usual, cheerful expression, now tight and brooding. The glow in his eyes had disappeared, his footsteps were hurried, as speed and time were required. Time was passing and every minute counted. Behind him, with his own, desolate expression, came Finnick. The glow in his eyes remained, but a deep sadness was remarkable.

The reason? His master and friend. Soon after, the captain appeared. Until that moment, silence and curiosity had kept the crew from speaking. However, it was what was in Nick's arms that had caused many of the mammals to put their paws in their mouths and others to take off their hats, placing them over their hearts. A thread of blood dripped behind the captain's footsteps.

At the helm, another fox watched closely, although he was not in a very good mood with the captain's attitude for the punishment applied earlier. The youthful glow in his emerald green eyes had, in a way, been lost. His good mood and smile on his face had given way to a tight line. Sadness was present, but anger won in his expression. Now he understood that, perhaps, his plan for revenge would be stalled for a while.

As soon as the door to the captain's quarters closed, Finnick climbed the small, three steps to the upper deck and stared at the crew. Seeing the desolate expression of the mammals, he sighed.

"She'll be all right!" He had no certainties. But the ship needed to move and begin its journey. "Prepare the ship. Let's start the journey."

The crew said nothing. They simply obeyed.

_Hours earlier..._

After punishing his apprentice, in a long sigh, Nick stood up from his desk. Taking his hat, he opened the door to his quarters and left. As he walked to the castle, in his mind there were some ways to bring the rabbit back to an accord. After the situation with his apprentice, it would be difficult to convince her that it was all a misunderstanding. Fighting was out of the question. Bring her by force...? There’s no way. To knock her unconscious was a good plan, but as soon as she woke up, he would have the cold metal of the blade from the sword near her neck. Difficult. Apart from these thoughts, he hastened his pace and turned the problem around in his mind as he walked to the castle. Nick pondered entering through the front door. However, he didn't want to run into the guards. So, he decided to take the hillside. On the rocks, there was be a secret passage. How did he know? He had discovered it after the failed attempts to go unnoticed so that he could see the princess from time to time. The female he loved the most, and who had now been kidnapped right in front of his eyes

_Unforgivable._

How had such an event been possible? He already knew who was behind such kidnapping and was sure that whoever kidnapped the princess was by no means an unknown mammal. Lost in his thoughts, the sea warned him that he had already arrived near the hidden passageway with the breaking of its waves against the rocky shore. The dark received him with open arms, and he thanked God for the gift of night vision. With a torch, he was sure that would attract the attention of the guards. The tunnel wasn't too big, and he was glad for it. So, when he reached the bottom of it, he would know exactly where it would lead. He removed the small black metal grate that prevented him from passing through, and, before leaving, looked down both sides of the corridor. Nobody. Strange that the real corridor was without guards. He stayed still a little inside the tunnel before leaving completely. Closing his eyes, he refined his hearing a little. Nothing. No steps were heard.

_Strange...very strange!_

Finally, he left. He put the metal damper back in place and straightened out, cleaning the dust from his clothes. Once again, and to make sure that his hearing hadn't betrayed him, even though he was already uncovered, he looked carefully at both sides of the corridor.

_This... is not good!_

And, in fact, it wasn't. Nick literally ran down the corridor on his left, where he knew it would lead to the main hall of the castle. When he reached the end, he suddenly stopped. He couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. The castle was not been spared from the same fate as the port. Suddenly, a strange sensation overpowered his thoughts. Something he had never felt before, not even when he was close to being caught by the royal guards. A feeling of fear and... of loss. Together with these two, torment and anger. The more he was in a hurry; the more obstacles were placed in front of him. The ceiling before him had been totally destroyed. Large concrete debris blocked the easy path, making it difficult to pass. But even so, it didn't discourage him. He knew that Judy had come to the castle. Before he returned to the ship to apply the punishment to his apprentice, he had not taken his eyes off from the rabbit as she disappeared with quick strides through the darkness towards the castle. And, normally, the place where she was going was always the throne room. After scaling the rubble-filled hallway and skirted down the passageway, he found his objective and froze in shock. The room had been near completely destroyed. Again, the feeling of fear invaded him. He had hoped that she had not arrived in time to witness whatever happened here. He hoped that the attack on the castle had been before Judy set foot there. Uncertainties which needed to be certain, and for that, he would have the terrible task of searching through the rubble.

_Honestly! Why so much destruction to kidnap the princess!_

He was furious. First the princess and now this? What else would come to torment his peace?! It was enough to be persecuted, indefinitely, by Judy who did forgive him. By the royal guards who wouldn't let him see the princess and all, for the simple fact, that there are pirates. Yes, angry...angry and afraid. Fear that he couldn't even save the princess and fear that the debris might have hurt Judy. He was so lost in his thoughts that he paid little attention to his steps. A loose rock sent him tumbling to the ground. A sharp pain ran all through his body and he lost his breath as he slipped down the debris and landed on the marble floor.

_Damn it!_ He babbled in anger.

The floor seemed to sway to him when Nick stood up. The pain began to ease a little, but his right leg was not so lucky. A dark spot began to come to life in his black leather pants near the ankle. Sighing deeply, he had no time to see the dimension of the wound. Ignoring the small throbbing of his leg, the fall at least had brought him to what would be the main door to the throne. There, too, the ceiling had yielded to the ferocity of the attack. A nauseating smell entered his nostrils, churning his stomach. That smell Nick recognized as he advanced. It was the smell of...blood. Bodies of some mammals torn apart by the fallen roof were like a vision of terror. When he was twenty-five years old, he thought he'd seen it all, but it turned out he was quite wrong. He went a little further, taking care not to step on any of the shrapnel so as not to hurt himself again. His emerald green eyes searched every corner of the room for what he wanted the most. The feeling he had felt before entering the room, became even stronger.

"CARROTS?" he called.

It might sound pathetic, but he had a glimmer of hope that she would answer back. He called her once, then two more times as he advanced and searched.

No response.

Now his heart began to beat harder. Although the two of them were always arguing, losing her like this never crossed his mind. That strong, fearless rabbit, without fear of anything, putting her life at stake at any price to protect others without thinking about the consequences, could not be dead. Such a thought made him shiver. Dispersing this thought, he called her again.

"JUDY!”

A weak cough. His ears turned in every way. Another cough. Nick sought the sound. His eyes were darting about to spy every corner of the room, searching through the wreckage for the rabbit.

"Here..." a weak and trembling voice gained his attention.

Close to where the royal chairs had been, a body that he recognized very well, was wounded on the floor. Nick no longer waited and ran towards her. When he reached her, his heart almost stopped. The energetic rabbit, prepared for anything and everything, was helpless, injured, and coated with dust, soot, and debris.

"Carrots..." was the only thing he could pronounce as soon as he knelt before her.

His paws went to meet behind the little head of the rabbit, lifting it up a little. Violet's eyes full of tears opened slowly. As soon as Judy saw Nick's face, she couldn't but smile to him.

"You came..."

"Of course, I came! I need your help to rescue the princess." He responded tenderly to her as he searched her body for injuries.

"Of course..."

Judy had a big cut on her left leg, from the knee halfway down her shin. A few superficial wounds on both arms and a small spot of blood were visible on her blouse. He decided to forego searching for the source of that, as the thought of lifting her blouse to check heated his ears and mind. Tenderly prodding until he heard a hiss from the bunny, he finally deduced the wound. A single cut, not as deep as the leg, but it would be difficult to heal. She needed to be treated and treated immediately.

"It will hurt, Judy. But I need to lift you up."

Judy kept quiet. Nick put his right arm on the rabbit's legs and lifted her up. He thanked her for not being heavy since the way to the ship was not exactly small and the boulders would not help, but he could not let Judy succumb to the wounds as for some reason the castle appeared to have been deserted.

_Strange...but thought for another day, and after Judy is healed._

For Judy, as she was cradled in Nick's arms, she felt both safe and overwhelmed by tiredness. She knew that if she closed her eyes, she might not wake up again. But at that very moment, she didn't care. At least, if she died, she would die happy. Yeah, she'd seen Nick one last time. Succumbing to tiredness, she closed her eyes.

** _To be continued…_ **


	12. A Little Dream About the Past

** _ Chapter edited by: Cimar-WildeHopps   
_ **

_Patience has always been a virtue. Many were able to practice it, but others had their limits. The ax was raised high while the furious screams could be heard almost everywhere in the castle. The farmer had reached the limit of his patience. Every day was a trial in and of itself. When was the last time he woke up rested in the morning, or instead by the sounds of screams? The farmer had lost count._

_"Children of the devil. One day you will pay dearly!”_

_He was furious and had reason to be so. Three small children ran quickly past his house. Their games were always the same. The princess had been kidnapped from the paws of a scrupulous pirate and, as such, the head of the royal guard had to capture them._

_Judy loved that game first thing in the morning. Running through the lands of the kingdom was good for her. She felt free. Although she thought Nicholas and Alyanna as friends, they always took advantage of her, though Judy didn't mind being the royal guard and chasing after them. Besides, it was her dream to join the king's guard._

_"Halt there, Nicholas Wilde!" she shouted with her sword drawn, chasing after the two foxes._

_"You'll never catch me, Judith Hopps!" he shouted back between breaths while pulling along the princess by her paw._

_The three of them laughed. The happiness in the children's expressions was enormous and they even made some mammals laugh who did their best to interrupt the game. The king, sometimes, helped in the game when he was available and Jack, Judy's brother, had the task of keeping an eye on them so they wouldn't do any damage. However, the farmer was already more than annoyed by these runs through his garden. Every day his garden suffered more damage._

_"When I catch you, you will go with me directly to the king.”_

_The game of chase had already been forgotten, now giving way to three fugitives from a mad mammal._

_"Wouldn't it be better to stop this madness?" The red fox with some black dots, namely in her ears and tail, warned Jack while laughing at the same time._

_"What's worth is that the king even adheres to the game, but..."_

_"Hold it, you demons!" said the panting farmer, but he wouldn't stop for a second before he could catch those speedy ruffians._

_"... I'd better stop this before David has a heart attack," a closed paw slid down Jack's facial fur in frustration._

_In a long sigh, Jack got up from his chair and grabbed Nicholas' collar and Judy by the waist as they ran past. They both looked at him in confusion. At that moment, the farmer stopped. The ax was still elevated, and he tried to control his breathing._

_"Every day I have to plant the harvest again because of you. This stupid childishness of yours makes a HUGE damage to my crops!"_

_"I apologize, David. It will be the last time that happens!" Jack smiled shyly and then looked away at the children, secretly furious. The three of them swallowed hard. The king was intimidating, but that rabbit far outweighed Mark's intimidation._

_"It better be the last time, Jack. I've been hearing this for over a year and when I try to make the king see the damage they do; he seems to close his eyes.”_

_"You can rest assured. It will be the last time!"_

_"Great!" Looking one last time at the children with an angry gaze, he lowered the ax and turned his back on the four of them._

_"I'm sorry, brother," with a fine voice and low ears behind her back, Judy handed over her sword so that Jack could have it._

_"David needs a few problems like this occasionally. He's nothing but a cantankerous mammal." The rabbit winked at her. "However, you better take your 'chase' somewhere else or I won't even be able to stop him again.”_

_Innocently, they shook their heads accordingly and left, going to play in the maze of the castle._

How many hours had passed since Judy's unconscious body had been placed on her bed? Nick didn't know. A feeling of tiredness washed over him, and the fox breathed a sigh of relief when his tail found rest in the chair near the wall. Clawhauser now put the sheet over the rabbit's body to keep her warm.

"She needs to be watched," were the only words the cheetah said. Then, he took the bucket and the dirty clothes and left his master's quarters.

_At least the fever went down_. With his eyes on Judy, he wondered why they had so much bad luck? Not only for her but also for him. Nothing was going according to plan, and Nick would know that such a thing wouldn't happen in the future either. Whatever was planned, fate made its own path through life. By convincing the rabbit to come with him, it had been a great triumph but soon undone after the stupidity of his apprentice.

Then her injuries.

It would take them two to three weeks to dock on the next island, a brief passage through the exclusive territory of several pirates, where great pleasures caught the attention of the males and gawking at the few females. Nick knew that Judy wouldn't like such a place, but she would need clothes for the long journey. Something he didn't have in his quarters and needed her measurements to do so. Not only the clothes for her, but he had some unfinished business there too. It would take some time, but it was a needed stop.

_It will be difficult to convince her, but I will have three weeks to try to do that and try to find a solution to the clothes she will wear at that time until she gets to the island. _Hesighed. He could do that later. Now, the priority was for Judy to recover and for him to come up with an excuse for when she wakes why she was on his ship and in the middle of the ocean.

** _To be continued…_ **


	13. Miriam, The Crew Female Member

_ **Chapter Edited by Cimar-WildeHopps ** _

It's amazing how many things you can find in every corner of the world. On every island, there is a relic that must be brought inside the ship. _Whatever it is_.

But most of it was useless junk.

Stuff like that was already making the captain crazy. For more than two hours, he'd been searching the hold from back to front, looking for clothes that he could give Judy, but found nothing.

"Why did I never think to bring women's clothes onto the ship?!" Frustrated, the junk was thrown from one side to another, eventually cluttering everything up all over again.

"And I wondered who the wretch was, that was making all this noise!"

Finnick was leaning against the hold's door with his arms crossed. His smile said enough for Nick to only look at him once and stir through the pile of things, again.

"Why don't you ask Miriam for help with the clothes?”

Nick straightened as his ears perked. Why didn't he remember her? Miriam was a bunny like Judy. Shaking his head from his forgetfulness, Nick soon stood, diverting the stuff out of his way as he walked out of the cluttered space. Passing right past Finnick, he ran to the kitchen. 

Miriam was singing a melody. She was in a good mood. One of her paws stirred the spoon in the soup pot and the other poured in some spices. Nick had asked Finnick to give her a list of what she had to prepare and although her newest patient, Judy, hadn't woken up yet, the captain always wanted to have something for her to eat if she opened her eyes. Miriam wouldn't mind making meals for another guest on the ship as she'd done so for two years now since joining the crew.

Having Judy on board intensified her good mood. After all, there were many times when Nick would keep Miriam company, regaling her with stories about his two childhood friends. Sometimes, she noticed sadness when he spoke about Judy, but when the conversation was about the princess, his eyes glowed and his smile lit up. And it was this smile and this glow in his eyes, that made her fall in love. Yes, although she had no chance against the princess, Miriam did everything in her power to please her captain. Even though it was her official occupation to cook, Miriam sometimes helped aboard the ship in other means to gain his favor and attention. The crew liked her disposition and honesty. Although at first, some mammals began to hit on her with other intentions, Nick warned them about it and, since then, they have never done anything again, starting by understanding her and treating her as one of the crew.

Her musings were halted by a knock on the door to the mess. "Miriam, I need your help."

"Yes, Captain?"

Miriam strayed from the pot and went to meet Nick who was walking down the stairs.

"Well...errr...is that...” _why was he embarrassed to ask for clothes? _He scratched the back of his head in nervousness.

"Are you all right, Captain?" With an arched eyebrow, Miriam faced him confused.

"Yes... I mean... Argh!" Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he said in one breath, "I need to borrow clothes for Judy. Under the circumstances, I don't have anything that fits her. And her other clothes I've found wouldn't work."

Miriam laughed like crazy. _So much embarrassment to ask me for clothes. _She laughed even more. Nick, on the other hand, tapped his foot, crossing his arms. He blushed because of the embarrassment.

"Thank you for coming to me.” Miriam wiped a tear that insisted on falling down. "I have some that can serve Judy. We are both the same size and structure. I don't think there will be any problem."

"Can you bring me it today? Clawhauser needs to change her clothes," he asked.

"No problem." The bunny turned her back and went back to the pot: "Give me a few minutes and I'll bring you the clothes."

"Great! Thank you, Miriam!"

"You're welcome, Captain!"

As agreed, Miriam got two pairs of leather pants and two blouses. One white and one red. Near night, she went down to Nick's quarters and knocked on the door. The fox opened and asked her to come in.

"Leave them up there," said Clawhauser, who was standing by the bed, cleaning Judy's wounds.

"She hasn't woken up yet?" Miriam asked, looking over Nick's shoulder, after leaving the clothes in the chair.

"And I don't think she's going to wake up today." Nick sighed.

"After changing the bandages I'm going to need your help, Miriam," Clawhauser said.

"Mine?" she opened her eyes in confusion.

"You are the only female here on the ship and Judy needs to be cleaned and dressed in new clothes. I could do it with the help of the captain, but I think if Judy finds out about it, she'll kill him quicker." A dumb smile reappeared on the cheetah's lips and provided a little laugh in Miriam and a _tsk_ from the fox.

"I know it was your dream, Captain. But next time," the rabbit mocked him.

"Dream?!" _argh_ "I'll get some air!" He left, leaving the cheetah and the bunny alone.

"Don't you think she'll be upset too if she knows you saw her naked?" Miriam approached the bed and the cheetah.

"Despite having chosen the life of a pirate, I am a doctor. I doubt she'll be offended if she finds out."

"It's true."

Miriam smiled and started helping Clawhauser with Judy.

On another ship, things were going completely differently. It doesn't take much for John to lose his patience. And it doesn't take much to piss him off either.

"What was the part about _not being noticed_ that you didn't understand?”

Two of his disciples stood firm before the table that separated them from a furious captain. Their paws trembled with their hats pressed against their torsos.

"But, Captain, blowing things up is eye-opening," said one of them, between his teeth, trying to see the reality of their situation.

"The explosions were to distract them, not to kill the royal guards!" the captain's closed paw hit the table hard. He got up but stayed in the same place. "The wharf, you idiots. The order was simple!" He sat down again and sighed. _Why did they have to do everything the other way around with every order he gave his crew?_ "At least we're far enough away from a furious king."

"But, Captain, Mark is furious with all the pirates!"

_I should have chosen my crew well. What I was thinking?_

"Stupidity has its limit. But yours surprises me every day. Something I thought wouldn't happen." His fingers relieved the pressure of the headache that had been bothering him for some time. "Mark hates any pirate, you morons. Good or bad, he wants to see them all dead." Another long sigh. "Let the crew know that we will dock the boat on the next island. I need to take care of some business there and you can enjoy it a bit. Dismissed!"

Without further ado, the two mammals lowered their heads, and putting their hats back on their heads, they left the captain's quarters as soon as possible. John closed his eyes and let himself slide a little in his chair. He had the princess. The plan had been accomplished as it should be. Destroying the Kingdom of Zootopia was his goal. Taking the throne his triumph and the princess the perfect bait. Getting rid of Mark would not be a difficult task, even that idiot buffalo being by the king's side. However, there were two mammals that would give him a lot of trouble. That despicable do-gooder pirate Nick and that pretentious rabbit guard, Judy. Both agile in their fights and astute in their missions. It wouldn't be easy. He'd have to have a perfect plan to capture them. Judy would be the first to leave the playing field if possible. If he managed to kill her along with Bogo and Mark, she would be the least of his problems with that part of the plan. But with Nick, that would be a different story.

** _To be continued…_ **


	14. Leaving a Confused Nick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> N/A - Hi, I know I didn't have any updates on this story, but I haven't forgotten about her. The ideas were gone, and I couldn't write anything down. But, ehehehe, today was the day. Done!
> 
> I had no intention of making Miriam say the magic words, but then I pondered. And why not leave a fox confused? Obviously, when confronted with such words, Judy will deny it. But I wanted to leave a fox more aware of a certain rabbit's intentions as soon as she wakes up, without ever losing the focus of the story: The Search for the Princess.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like it.
> 
> See you soon. Kisses. ^^

_ **@Chapter Edited by: Cimar-WildeHopps** _

Her eyes opened slowly. A sudden pain filled the left side of her head. Instinctively, her paw went to the place aching and she felt something viscous. Placing her paw open in front of her, she saw blood. What had happened? She wondered, until her blue eyes paid attention to the environment around her. Grids. Big steel iron bars…they’d caged her.

"I see you're awake, princess!" The voice was husky and deep.

Alyanna’s attention landed on the mammal in front of her through the steel bars. His clothing denounced what that jackal was.

"Where am I?" the words came out in anger.

"Welcome to the _Black Sapphire_, my princess." He took a clumsy bow. He made no mention of having good manners in front of royalty.

"Black Sapphire?" Alyanna repeated the words. Words that were not unknown to her, but that she could not remember where she had heard them before.

"I see your father kept you quite safe inside the adorned walls of the castle."

"Don't be reckless, pirate. I may be a princess, but I've been well taught." The princess's eyebrows came together, demonstrating the displeasure of that jackal's behavior.

"Well..." the jackal laughed. "I'm sorry your stay isn't perfect, but the captain made no mention of accommodating you elegantly, if you know what I mean."

It was then that Alyanna remembered where she had heard the name, _Black Sapphire_. It was the name of the most wanted ship in the kingdom. Commanded by the worst pirate of all time. Captain John.

"Why?" she asked atonically. She knew many pirates wanted her, especially to marry her and take the throne. But, John? Father had said that at other times, they were both business friends. Even though he knew John was a pirate, Mark had never had a reason to have him as an enemy. What is the plan?

"Questions for later, princess. John will speak to your highness when the time comes." The jackal spat on the floor before he turned his back on the vixen and grabbed something from a crude table.

In his paws appeared a wooden bowl and a spoon. Crouching down, the jackal put the bowl on the ground and stared at the vixen who looked at him strangely.

"It's not for me to let a female die." He shrugged his shoulders. Then he got up. "You need to eat, princess. John doesn't want you dead."

Alyanna collected the bowl through a small hatch that opened and closed shortly after. The mixture was weird, but it smelled delicious. Besides, her stomach complained when the delicious smell entered her nostrils. How many hours has it been since she hadeaten?

"Don't worry. I didn't put poison in the food. It may be that color, but I guarantee it's good." The jackal winked at her and turned his back on her. Alyanna turned her attention to the bowl and took a ravenous bite.

*******

Everything was out of control. The female he loved the most had escaped his skillful paws. His heart was broken. That vixen was important to him, more than just the crown and the kingdom. With a long sigh, he closed his eyes and savored the sea. He could not deny it. Being on the ocean, was his freedom. Endless journeys, enjoying the pleasant scent of saltwater, the wind over his fur; all that was what his adventurous spirit loved. Nick might not have a good reputation, but he didn't regret choosing to be a pirate.

"Captain!"

Miriam's soft voice woke him up. Turning his head to his left, he saw the rabbit approaching him.

"Yes?"

"You can come in now if you want. Clawhauser has finished putting on new bandages."

"Thank you." Leaving his paws on the wooden parapet of the ship, his back found the comfort of the wood. A smile of relief reappeared on his lips.

"How is she?"

"Good. Fever is down, fortunately."

"Great!" said Nick, walking away and, passing Miriam, started the path towards his room.

However, his walk was interrupted. A paw was put on his arm, making Nick stop and turn to the rabbit.

"There's something I need to tell you, Captain." In her face, a greatly concerned expression was perceptible. "Before you go to your room, will you sit with me?"

"What's up, Miriam?"

"I ask that we speak out of other mammal's ears. Please!" she begged.

Nick felt the pressure of her grip on his arm. Miriam had started squeezing his arm, indicating that the conversation really couldn't be done another day.

"Alright. Follow me."

Letting go, Nick took a step back to his office. Miriam followed him closely.

Inside the office, Nick pointed Miriam to sit in the chair in front of the big desk. The rabbit did so, and the fox also settled comfortably in front of the rabbit.

"What's the matter, Miriam?"

"You know it's me who's been taking the food to Judy. Well, at least most of the time." Miriam laughed timidly, as it was often the captain who would pick up the food for his friend. "What I mean is... well... the first time was nothing but undecipherable murmurs. When I'd just walked into the room and put the tray down on the table next to her, I heard Judy mumbling something while she was sleeping."

"That's always been a habit she's had since she was a little girl," Nick answered dryly, remembering that when they were little, they used to sleep together, and Judy always mumbled in her sleep.

Miriam kept quiet for a moment and thought very carefully before saying the following words: "And was she crying by any chance?"

Okay, that was news. Normally, Judy would mumble and smile. Cry? Never!

"From the look on your face, I can tell she doesn’t do that." Miriam took the conversation shortly after, giving the fox no time to answer. "On the first day, only murmurs. On the second, a few screams. At those moments, the poor rabbit seemed to panic. During those sudden attacks, I had to call Clawhauser to help me reassure her." She sighed in a sad sigh. In her mind, the memory of one of Judy's attacks. She screamed. She was calling out to someone. Someone dear to her. On her cheek, tears kept coming down. In those moments, Miriam was petrified. She wanted to help her, but she didn't know how. “She called her brother constantly. Telling him not to go. Not to take your word for it." Nick sighed. It was understandable. "However, Captain, there is something else." Miriam bit her lower lip. Those words were still wandering in her mind as if they had been spoken seconds before.

"Miriam, I see what you're getting at." Nick crossed his arms. "Judy has suffered greatly these past few years. Part of the story you know. Besides, I'm her enemy, not John."

"That's where you're wrong, Captain. You're not her enemy. You both have an enemy in common. Captain John."

Nick's eyebrow frowned in confusion. 

"What are you implying? In that rabbit's mind, the brilliant plans to kill me fill all her thoughts."

Miriam sighed deeply. Closing her eyes, in her mind came to the image of the day before when she had left the tray with food at the captain's request. After placing it on the table, Miriam looked at the rabbit and smiled. Her breathing was still, and her sick expression had disappeared. All that remained was for her to open her eyes so that Miriam could talk to her and become friends. After all, it was not every day that she met someone else of her kind. Satisfied, Miriam turned her back on Judy and began to walk the path back, when:

"Nick...please..."

Miriam stopped and turned her attention to the rabbit. Tears flowed down her cheeks. Thinking Judy had woken up, Miriam went back to her bed. When she got there, however, she noticed that she didn't. Once again, she was talking in her sleep.

"Nick, don't leave me. Please, don't go..."

Curious, Miriam decided to ask, "Where don't you want him to go, Judy?"

"Alyanna...Nick, don't leave me. You're the only important mammal I have. Please don't leave me."

That's when Miriam realized. Judy didn't hate Nick. Despite the stories the captain told, how much they were always arguing and fighting, she didn't hate him as he thought. Other than that, Judy loved him and loved him very deeply.

Returning to the present, Miriam opened her eyes and stared with emerald green eyes that asked her to continue.

"Captain, I'm sorry to have wasted your time. That's all I had to say."

"Miriam, I know there's something else. You're not just any mammal to call me aside when there's something important to be said."

And it was true. _Damn! I should have kept quiet in the first place._

Trying to get away from it, but not running away completely, she said, "Captain, when Judy wakes up, I'm sure she'll react badly. No doubt about it. However, let me warn you. While you're obsessed with the search for your beloved, you really lose track of things around you." Getting up from the chair, she went to the office door, where she opened it.

Nick kept quiet, and incredibly confused by the words of his friend and her intention to have asked to speak to him alone. Before she left, she made it very clear to him to think a little. "Maybe it's not the princess you should really 'give'. Maybe it's not Alyanna your real passion. Your true sin and your true happiness. At your command, you have us all. Faced with your friendship, you have friends willing to do anything. But in the face of true love, you don't know the difference between "obsessed love" and deep love. Please, Captain, Judy has suffered enough. Open your eyes, listen to everything around you. Study the actions. Judy doesn't hate you. She may be hurt by the fact that she got the idea that you took her brother to his certain death. Simple words, an excuse, and an explanation will be enough for her to put that past behind her."

"Miriam, you're making me a little upset with that conversation of yours. Could you be more explicit, please? What are you getting at? Why the hell has this subject come up for nothing?" Nick was losing patience.

"Captain, Judy doesn't hate you. On the contrary, she loves you!" the words came out in a whisper, almost inaudible, and Miriam closed the door behind her.

In the face of such words that were not inaudible to Nick, the shock was perceptible in his expression.

Does Judy love him? She can't. No... No... he had misheard. He sure did. He hadn't slept properly for a few nights. That's it, his mind was playing tricks on him. It was impossible for Judy to love him. Doesn’t she hate him? He knew that very well. Every time he tried to talk to her, he had the tip of the rabbit's sword stuck to his neck. That's not love...

** _To be Continued…_ **


End file.
